I Almost Feel Like I’m Piling On…
By Mitch Berg
…and maybe you can call me a cynic, but when I heard NPR and the BBC hyperventilating about the first female umpire in MLB history, I have to admit I wondered if a story like this…
…was pretty much iunevitable.
August 11th, 2025 at 6:18 am
I’m sorry, but I’ve seen crazier called strikes than that one.
August 11th, 2025 at 6:21 am
An umpire calling it wrong is common as sunrise.
NPR or the BBC calling it right is a black swan.
August 11th, 2025 at 7:34 am
… it occurs to me to ask if there are recordings and commentary about the first call made by other first-time umpires who were black? Hispanic? Irish?
I would add that while it is certainly possible that Jen Pawol was rushed through the system that trains umpires for the Big Leagues (meaning she was not given the appropriate training and experience), this is hardly her first game with players of high quality (AAA players are nearly pro level quality).
In short, I think this recording and commentary is just as lame as NPR/BBC’s “girl boss” angle (btw, why would the BBC care about baseball?). It is simply confirming the implied importance of the first woman umpire.
August 11th, 2025 at 11:26 am
It sure looked like it barely caught the back corner of the plate, so could have gone either way.
August 11th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
How hard would it be to mount a camera in the pitchers mound facing the batter, and another directly above home plate looking down, to get instant video review of disputed calls?
The moundcam would watch knees to shoulders. The platecam would watch the corners. Each team would get a limited number of challenges.
Why not?
August 11th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Let’s see…how can we make sportsball more ridiculous?
August 11th, 2025 at 5:45 pm
“Female umpire ejects player for something he did in her dream last night…”
BB